Madison resident heads to London to play basketball

Jalen Johnson, 21, of Madison is leaving on Friday, August 28 to play professional basketball in London with the USA Select Basketball Team. Johnson has been working as a janitor at the rest area in Monticello but while he was working, he realized how much he missedplaying basketball. He has been playing basketball since he was eight years old but after graduating from Melody Christian Academy in Live Oak in 2013, he has not played on a team. He decided that he wanted to try basketball again and discovered the three-day USA Select Exposure Camp in North Carolina. He attended the camp three weeks ago. On his last day at camp, he was chosen to play point guard for the USA Select Basketball Team. Johnson is really excited to have this opportunity to play basketball again. USA Select Basketball will allow him to play some of the top teams in Europe in a series of exhibition games. He dreams of playing in the NBA one day. For the next 10 months, he will be playing basketball on the USA Select Basketball Team. He will travel to London, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and Finland for two months each. Johnson has a quote that he lives by and he wanted to share it with others. “I have already had everything that I wanted in life because I put God in my life first. I have already accomplished the greatest thing in life and that’s living for God.” Johnson is the son of Terry and Patricia Johnson. “I want to thank my friends and family for the support; and to everyone, ‘do good and good will follow you,’” said Johnson.